Puzzle



(No Mode1.)'

S. F. ESTELL.

PUZZLE.

No. 589,822. Painted sept. 14,1897.

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UNITED STATES PATENT EEicE.

SAMUEL F. IISTELL, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

PUZZLE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 589,822, dated September 14, 1897.

Application and April 26,1897.

others skilled inthe art to which it appertains to malte and use the same, reference bein ghad to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

The object of the invention is to provide a puzzle having the general appearance of a box with a removable cover, the two main members being locked together by the use of a ball running in a suitable wayin such manner that by proper manipulation they can be separated.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure I is a plan View of; the device. Fig. 2 is a plan View of the lower member thereof, the attachinglugs,form ing apart ot' the upper mem ber being shown, however, in transverse section. Fig. 3 is abottom plan view of the upper member. Fig. et is a transverse section of the device, taken on the line et a of Fig. 2, both members being shown. Fig. 5 is an edge elevation of the upper member, and Fig. 6 is a detail sectional view on the line 6 6 of Fig. The lower member of the device consists of an annular plate A, having upstanding annular flanges B C located the one near its inner edge and the other near its outer edge, and an annular plate D, connecting the upper edges of the flanges B C. rIhe plate D has two oppositely-disposed segmental slots F. F. The upper member of the device is in the form of an annular plate II, preferably of the same diameter as the plate A and having an annular flange h at its inner edge, the diameter of this annulus being such that it fits within the annulus B, its axial length, however, being somewhat less than that of the annulus B. The location of the annulus B near but slightly removed from the edge of the annulus plate A forms an annular shoulder a, so that a disk X, such as a coin or similar plate, may be secured between the edge of theilange h and the shoulder a.

The plate II is provided with a pair of opsnal No. 633,914. da man.)

tbe bodies of the latter are sufiiciently small,-

so that they will slide freely within the slots, the studs performing the function of T-bolts to hold the two members of the device together.

A ball M of slightly greater diameter than the distance between the plates A D is placed between these two plates, projecting partially through one of the slots, as E, which forms a way within which it is free to run, rolling upon the plate A. The plate D is cut away to form a recess or pocket CZ, extending inwardly from the slot E intermediate of its ends, preferably a short distance from the end opposite that at which the lateral extensions c are located. rIlhis pocket' is approximately the same width as the slot and is preferably inclined with reference to the radius of the circle of which the slot is a segment, the inner end of the pocket being inclined toward the extensions c. This pocket is adapted to receive the ball H.

In putting the members of the puzzle together the disk K is 'first inserted into the well formed by the annulus I5, the ball M is rolled into the pocket d., the lugs K K are inserted into the extensions c f, and the two main members are then turned in opposite direc tions until the lug K passes the pocket d. The device is now turned so that the ball M will be dislodged from the pocket and rolled to the opposite end of the slot when the members are turned backwardly, so that the stud K cuts oitl the access of the ball to the pocket CZ. It will be seen that the ball will now prevent the studs K K from passing to the lateral extensions c f, and consequently the two members cannot be separated until the studs have been moved to the farther ends ofthe slots and the ball rolled into the pocket d. In the absence of any external marks upon the device the location of the slots and of the pocket cannot be determined, and hence it is difficult to bring the parts into such position as to admit of the separation of the two menibers and a consequent removal of the disk X.

It will be seen that the disk X is not a material part of the device and may, if desired, be dispensed with, although its presence IOO serves as a stimulus to the solving of the puzzle.

lVhile I have described and shown the preferred form of Construction, it is obvious that the segmental slots may be changed somej what in form and location and also' the at-r taehing-studs which eoperate with them Without departing from the scope of the in-r vention, the essence of which is that the two main members' turning npon'a Common een-y ter are held together by a stud or studs entering an enlarged portion of a slot or slots,

a ball being so disposed within the slot that it ymay be brought between the stud or studs andthe aperture'through ywhich it enters.

I claim as my inventionl. In a puzzle, the combination with a mein-A ber having a segmentalT-groove with alateral enlargement at Vone end, of ya member having a T-lug adaptedtto slide Within the groove and to pass through its enlarged portion, a ball yadapted to run within the groove and being of greater diameter than any portion of the throat'thereot", such groove alsor having a lateral extension intermediate of its ends adapted to rreceive the ball but not to admit of the passage therethroughfof the head of the lug.

2. In a puzzle, the combination with a m emf ber havinga disk face and a segmental T- groovein such face, a member adapted to engage the first-mentioned member and having yan angular movement over its disk face conbers adapted for mutual engagement so as to be capable of Vrelative angular movement upon a common axis, one of ysuch members having a segmentaly slot radially extended within the body of the member and having y a transverse enlargement extending'axially through the contacting surface of the member at one end of the slot, a stud projecting from the contacting aee'of the'other member and havinga radial projection at its outer end, such stud being adapted to enter the transverse enlargement of the groove and to slide within the groove, a ball adapted to run within the groove and being of greater diamy veter than the throat thereof.

4. In a puzzle, the combination with an annular plate, A, having two concentric annular flanges one near eaeh'of its edges, an annular plate, D, connecting the outer edges or' such anges and having segmental slots radially widened at one end, one of such slots having a lateral extension intermediate of its' ends, an annular plate, H, having'an axial Range at its inner edge adapted to tit within the inner Bange of the plate, A, but being ot' less-axial length than such flange, headed ystuds projecting from the face of the plate,

H, and adapted to enter the widened portions Y at the ends of the slots and to move in said slots, and a ball of greater diameter than the distance between the plate, A, and the plate,

D, and of less diameter than the segmental Vslots and being placed upon the plate, A, so

as toy project into one of the slots and run therein, substantially'as describedv and for the purpose set forth.

In testimony whereof I aiiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

SAMUEL F. ESTELL. Iitnessesz Louis K. GiLLsoN, WILLIAM F. BATES. 

